December 04, 2012

Two Arrested in Connection With #Toulouse Terror Attack in March of 2012

French police arrested two people on Tuesday in connection with the attacks by extremist gunman Mohamed Merah, whose shooting spree in and around the southern city of Toulouse this year left seven people dead.

One man described by police as a member of the traveller community who converted to Islam was detained on suspicion of having provided aid to Merah in carrying out the March attacks that shocked France.

He was arrested without incident at his home in the town of Albi, about 70 kilometres (45 miles) northeast of Toulouse, where he was to be taken for questioning, police sources said.

His former partner was arrested separately at her home in Toulouse, with police saying she may have been aware of his involvement and failed to inform authorities.

The nature of his alleged involvement was unclear, but investigators have been searching for a suspected "third man" believed to have been with Merah and his brother Abdelkader during the theft of a scooter used in the attacks.

Merah shot a rabbi, three Jewish schoolchildren and three French paratroopers in March before being shot dead in a police siege in Toulouse.[More...

Le Figaro has more[googish]

A man, a member of the traveler community, was arrested in a small town between Albi and Castres, where he lives so sedentary. A source close to the case said Le Figaro that this 38 year old man who had converted to Islam for some time. He was close to Mohamed Merah, and perhaps his brother Abdelkader, he had known in the city of Toulouse Izards where they grew up together.

The suspect is already stuck in nine cases including cases of theft, outrage and rebellion, abuse or weakness of drunken driving. It was a priori unknown intelligence. His ex-girlfriend has meanwhile been arrested in Toulouse to determine its possible involvement

In November, Merah's sister stated she was proud her brother killed the Rabbi and the three Jewish children

"I am proud of my brother, he fought till the end (...) I think well of Bin Laden, I told the cops, I can tell you." She does not hide its antisemitic sentiments: "The Jews, all those who are massacring Muslims, I hate them." "The Salafists, they act," she said again. "Me and (Abdel) Kader, it supports the Salafists, Mohamed took the plunge. I am proud, proud, proud, "she shouted.